Refrigerated display unit



June 7, 1966 s. ELLIS REFRIGERATED DISPLAY UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 14, 1964 FIG. 2

1 I 1 1 I 1 I 1 |NVENTOR. STAFFORD ELLIS ATTORNEYS.

June 7, 1966 s. ELLIS REFRIGERATED DISPLAY UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 14, 1964 FIG. 3

INVENTOR.

STAFFORD ELLIS W a/5%.

ATTORNEYS.

3,254,502 REFRIGERATED DISPLAY UNIT Stafford Ellis, 6324 Leyte Drive, Washington, D.C. Filed Dec. 14, 1964, Set. N0. 417,959 4 Claims. (Cl. 62--257) This invention relates to a refrigerated display unit and more particularly a refrigerated display unit which is portable and can be mounted on a counter for use in retail establishments were salads and other refrigerated foods the food personally and at short range.

United States Patent 7 By providing a refrigerated display unit which permits the customer to select and withdraw items from the display unit, the amount of time normally expended by salespeople in serving customers is significantly reduced.

Refrigerated display units which have been provided heretofore have not only been bulky but due to the weight of their cooling systems have been more or less permanent installations. 1

Due to the size and weight of these display units it has also been normally necessary to position them in back of the counter, with a resultant diminishing in sales appeal and utility otherwise" possible with the display.

While in restaurants, lunch rooms, snack shops, etc., there is customarily ample space for freezers and other refrigerated equipment in back of the counter, counter space itself is normally at a premium.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of this invention to provide an improved refrigerated display unit for salads and other refrigerated foods, which is portable, compact and can be mounted on counters readily accessible to customers, without the duplication of expensive electrical and mechanical cooling equipment.

It is another object of this invention to providean improved refrigerated display unit which will provide continuous cooling of the displayed articles independently of electrically or mechanically operated stationary cooling installations and fixtures, so that the display unit can be temporarily or permanently placed on a counter or the like, permiting customers to help themselves to the merchandise displayed therein.

It is another object of this invention to provide a refrigerated display unit which has its cooling medium located above and below the merchandise being displayed.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a refrigerated display unit containing a rechargeable cooling medium.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a refrigerated display unit including means allowing ready access to the cooling medium so that it may be quickly and easily removed for recharging.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved portable refrigerated display unit in which the temperature is relatively uniform throughout the section in which the merchandise is displayed.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings which accompany and form part of the specification.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerated display unit made in accordance with the present invention.

3,254,502 Patented June 7, 1966 ICC FIGURE 2 is a sectional erated display unit shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional top view of the refrigerated display unit. V

FIGURE 4 is a perspective View of the coolant basket or carrier.

Referring to the drawings the casing of the refrigerated display unit consists of a housing having opposed side walls 10, a top wall 12 carried by and between the side walls 10', a rear Wall 14 extending downwardly from the rear of top wall 12, a botom wall 16 extending forwardly from rear wall 14, and a front wall 18 extending upwardly from bottom wall 16. The top wall 12, the rear wall 14, bottom wall 16, front wall 18, and the side walls 10 are all formed of two sheets of plastic separated by a layer of insulation material maintained between two air spaces to realize an efficient cooling unit that is substantially unaffected by external thermal conditions and changes.

In the middle of the front section or wall 18 is an aperture 20, which may be constricted as the central portion of the unit is approached. Aperture 20 is closed by a double door 22 formed of two parallel sheets of clear Lucite or Plexiglas separated by an air space and suitably hinged or otherwise fastened.

Any suitable locking means may be employed such as a magnetic catch or the like.

Double door 22 fits closely against the walls surrounding aperture 20 in order to prevent excessive leakage of chilled air from within'the unit.

In the lower section and in the upper section of one of the side walls 10 are apertures 24 and 26 which may be constricted as the central portion of the unit is approached. Aperture 24 is closed by a door 28 and aperture 26 is closed by a door 30, both of whiclrare suitably hinged or otherwise fastened, and lit closely against the walls surrounding their respective apertures inorder to prevent excessive leakage of chilled air from within the display unit.

Within the refrigerated display uni-t are two baskets 36 and 38 the walls of which are of a grid or web-like design 40. Baskets 36 and 38 are each mounted on four rollers 42 so as to be easily inserted into or withdrawn from the display unit. Along the inside of the sidewalls of baskets 36 and 38 there is provided a plurality of equally spaced members 41 providing sections in the baskets for the insertion of cans 44 containing a chemical such as a mono and/or polyhydric alcohol or the like used as a cooling medium in the display unit. Angle iron 46 fastened to the front wall 18 and angle iron 48 fastened to rear wall 20 provide support for basket 36.

Basket 38 is' supported by its rollers 42 in contact with the botom wall 16. After the cans 44 containing the cooling medium are inserted into the baskets 36 and 38, the top walls of the baskets may be locked shut providing effective unitary rechargeable cooling units.

The merchandise to be displayed in the refrigerated display unit may be stacked on top of basket 38 or a gridlike shelf may be provided directly above basket 38 for this purpose.

The present invention provides a compact, inexpensive refrigerated display unit which due to its relatively light weight can be located in a position readily accessible to the customers.

The perforations formed by the web-like structure of the baskets and the spaces provided between the cans of coolant 42 insures adequate circulation and increased surface area for the conduction of cold from the cans to the air contained Within the display unit. The position of the baskets at the top and bottom of the display unit proside view of the same refrighas already proven extremely successful is in the refriger ation and display of salads. Salads are delivered to retail establishments such as small lunch counters and refreshment stands on a daily basis so that ample time is available for recharging the coolant each evening. Even if this were not the case, since the coolant baskets are of a standard size, by providing two extra baskets containing the coolant, the coolant could be recharged and replaced as needed. The present invention without the need of more than a bare minimum of counter space, a commodity which is quite critical in these establishments, maintains the salads 'cool and crisp throughout the day and readily accessible to the customers. In view of the fact that many of these establishments are operated by blind people, the standard size coolant baskets of the present invention provide still another advantage since, due to their standard size and ease of handling, a blind person would experience no difiiculty in removing the baskets in and out for recharging.

While I have described and shown a preferred embodiment of the present invention it is to be understood that various changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A refrigerated display unit comprising an enclosure having opposed side walls, a top wall carried by and between said side walls, a rear wall extending downwardly from said top wall, a bottom wall extending forwardly from said rear Wall, and a front wall extending upwardly from said bottom wall, a first and second portable cooling providing means for substantially equalizing the temperature throughout the enclosure, both said first and second portable cooling providing means including a basket, and a plurality of metal containers containing a coolant inserted within said basket maintained in a spaced relationship, said basket having perforations insuring adequate conduction of cold air from the surfaces of said metal containers, said first portable cooling providing means being positioned in the enclosure adjacent said bottom wall and said second portable cooling providing means being positioned in the enclosure adjacent said top wall, the middle of said front wall having an aperture providing access to the portion of the enclosure located between said first and second portable cooling providing means in which portion merchandise may be displayed, said aperture having a suitable moving door of transparent material for the visual display of merchandise contained in said enclosure and the prevention of leakage of chilled air therefrom, and means in one of said side walls providing for the removal of said first and second cooling providing means including an aperture in said side wall located adjacent its top, an aperture in said side wall located adjacent its bottom, and suitable movable closures for said apertures to prevent leakage of chilled air from said enclosure.

2. A refrigerated display unit for salads and the like as defined in claim 1 wherein the coolant contained in said metal containers is a monohydric alcohol.

3. A refrigerated display unit for salads and the like as defined in claim 1 wherein the coolant contained in said metal containers is a polyhydric alcohol.

4. A refrigerated display unit for salads and the like as defined in claim 1 including a pair of angle irons for supporting said second portable cooling providing means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 827,358 7/1906 Fryar 62459 1,132,022 3/ 1915 Michel 62382 1,209,627 12/ 1916 Saunders 62457 1,693,377 11/1928 Folger 62--43O 1,887,419 11/1932 Michel 62382 2,187,387 1/1940 Trigg 62430 2,737,029 3/ 1956 Krasner 62246 WILLIAM J. WYE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A REFRIGERATED DISPLAY UNIT COMPRISING AN ENCLOSSURE HAVING OPPOSED SIDE WALLS, A TOP WALL CARRIED BY AND BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS, A REAR WALL EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID TOP WALL, A BOTTOM WALL EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM SAID REAR WALL, AND A FRONT WALL EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BOTTOM WALL, A FIRST AND SECOND PORTABLE COOLING PROVIDING MEANS FOR SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALIZING THE TEMPERATURE THROUGHOUT THE ENCLOSURE, BOTH SAID FIRST AND SECOND PORTABLE COOLING PROVIDING MEANS INCLUDING A BASKET, AND A PLURALITY OF METAL CONTAINERS CONTAINING A COOLANT INSERTED WITHIN SAID BASKET MAINTAINED IN A SPACED RELATIONSHIP, SAID BASKET HAVING PERFORATIONS INSURING ADEQUATE CONDUCTION OF COLD AIR FROM THE SURFACES OF SAID METAL CONTAINERS, SAID FIRST PORTABLE COOLING PROVIDING MEANS BEING POSITIONED IN THE ENCLOSURE ADJACENT SAID BOTTOM WALL AND SAID SECOND PORTABLE COOLING PROVIDING MEANS BEING POSITIONED IN THE ENCLOSURE ADJACENT SAID TOP WALL, THE MIDDLE OF SAID FRONT WALL HAVING AN APERTURE PROVIDING ACCESS TO THE PORTION OF THE ENCLOSURE LOCATED BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND PORTABLE COOLING PROVIDING MEANS IN WHICH PORTION MERCHANDISE MAY BE DISPLAYED, SAID APERTURE HAVING A SUITABLE MOVING DOOR OF TRANSPARENT MATERIAL FOR THE VISUAL DISPLAY OF MERCHANDISE CONTAINED IN SAID ENCLOSURE AND THE PREVENTION OF LEAKAGE OF CHILLED AIR THEREFROM, AND MEANS IN ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS PROVIDING FOR THE REMOVAL OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND COOLING PROVIDING MEANS INCLUDING AN APERTURE IN SAID SIDE WALL LOCATED ADJACENT ITS TOP, AN APERTURE IN SAID SIDE WALL LOCATED ADJACENT ITS BOTTOM, AND SUITABLE MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR SAID APERTURES TO PREVENT LEAKAGE OF CHILLED AIR FROM SAID ENCLOSURE. 